Dining table



E. w. GRIMES 3,152,599-

Oct. 13, 1964 DINING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1958 Elmer m Grimes 1N VEN TOR.

E. W- GRIMES DINING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1958 47 eN A w a m w r e United States Patent 3,152,592 DENING TABLE E-imer W. Grimes, 3875 Fates Verdes Drive N., Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. Filed Dec. 30, 1953, Ser. No. 733,813 Ciairns. or. 134-115 This invention relates to improvements in so-called self-cleaning dining tables for household, or restaurant use. 1

The primary object of this invention is to provide a time and labor saving dining table having a top with indented well-like food containing dishes from which a number of persons may feed respectively and which are each constructed and arranged to contain different foods separated from each other, the table having hidden selfcontained washing means for washing and cleaning the receptacles and means for draining and disposing of the wash-water and waste materials or garbage, all to the end that setting the table with dishes and clearing the table of dishes after meals and disposal of garbage at places remote from the table, may be conveniently obviated.

Another object is to provide a table for the above purposes, in which the table top is invertable for use upsidedown for purposes other than dining, and for washing of the receptacles as well as all dirtied surfaces of the table top.

Still another object is to provide a table according to the foregoing which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, durable, and sanitary.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described, and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the table in a preferred embodiment thereof;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view in vertical longitudinal section, partly broken away, and taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical cross-section, partly broken away, and taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view on a smaller scale of a spray frame forming part of the washing means, and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in crosssection showing the top inverted.

Briefly summarized, the unique self-contained table, equipped, of course, with suitable plumbing facilities, comprises: a relatively large trapping pan opening upwardly, provided with a marginal upstanding rim and a dished hoppertype bottom having a discharge opening, a selfcontained water and Waste material disposal device se-' cured to said bottom and communicating in fluid-tight cooperating association with said discharge opening, portable support means for and connected with said pan, wash-water supply and distributing means removably and accessibly supported in the receptacle portion of the pan and insertable and removable by way of the open top of the pan, said means being adapted toforcibly spray a multiplicity of jets of water in a manner to perform its intended washing job, and a bodily invertible cover completely spanning and lidding over said pan, said cover providing a suitable table top and having a rim cooperating with the rim of said pan, being imperforate and having a plurality of suitably distributed well-like epressions providing individual food containing dishes, the latter and top surface of said cover being normally up for accessible use but capable of being turned upsidedown in line with the pan for cleaning and washing by bodily inverting the cover and subjecting its top surface Patented et. 13, 1964- to the action of said water jets, and means connecting said cover to the rim of said pan.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the table of this invention, and which is designated generally by the numeral 1 comprises a top supporting rectangular bottom pan 3 having sides 5 and ends 7, and a hopper bottom 9 sloping downwardly from the sides 5 and ends 7 to a central discharge opening 10 vertically aligned with a conventional garbage disposal unit 11 bolted, as at 13 to said bottom 9 with a sealing gasket 17 between said unit and bottom 9, said unit communicating with the opening, or aperture, 10. The sides 5 and ends 7 depend below the bottom 9 of the pan 3 and form a rectangular reinforcing skirt 8 on the pan 3.

Corner supporting legs w are attached to the pan 3, being preferably formed integrally therewith, and the garbage disposal unit 11 depends from said bottom 9 for connection in any desired manner, not shown, to a house source of water under pressure, not shown. The pan 3 includes an outwardly extending horizontal rim flange 21 surrounding the pan.

The top, designated generally by the numeral 23 is rectangular, like the pan 3 and comprises a plate 24 which has an upwardly ofiset fiat faced head 27 surrounding the same and in turn surrounded by a channeled depending, flat bottom flange 29 with the channel facing inwardly of the top 23 and which seats flat on the flange 21 and includes ends 26. The bead 27 accordingly forms a table top retaining means for confining all matter littering the table top when in use and to further form a washing chamber seal when the table top is inverted as will hereafter be described. Also, preferably rectangular food receptacles are pressed out of the plate 25 and which are cross-ribbed, as at 28 and form compartmented dished food receptacles in which diiferent foods may be placed in separated relation. As will be seen, the top 23 closes the top of the pan 3 and forms therewith a closed chamber 3t) and projects outwardly of the sides 5 and ends 7 of the pan so that the top may be grasped at its edges by hands inserted under the top, for a purpose presently seen.

Washing means is provided in the chamber 30, which is to say in the pan '5, comprising a rectangular open spray frame 31 of piping and which embodies cross-pipes 33, said frame and pipes being provided with upwardly opening spray discharge nipples 35 thereon. The frame 31 is removably seated on upstanding bosses 37 on the bottom 9 of the pan 3. At one corner thereof the spray frame 31 has depending therefrom, as shown in dotted lines in FlGURE 1, a valve water inlet pipe 39 for connection in any suitable manner, not shown, to a house Water supply system, not shown, whereby water under pressure may be introduced at will into the spray frame 31 to discharge upwardly from said frame 31 out of the' nipples 35. From FIGURE 1, it will be obvious that the spray frame 31 may be removed from the pan 3 after removal of the valve knob and the inlet valve in the inlet pipe 39, which is otherwise locked to a leg 19. Removal of the frame 31 is of course effected by lifting it upwardly 3 so that the top 23 can be inverted from right side up position to upsidedown position for cleaning in the latter position and for use of its bottom face as a tray for any desired purpose. This means comprises a pair of horizontal longitudinal slots 41 in the skirt 3 at the ends 7 I of the pan 3, which is to say'the ends of the table, and

a pair of links 43 terminally pivoted at one end, as at 45 to the ends 26 of the top 23 adjacent corresponding corners of said top, and terminally pivoted at their other ends, as by bolts 47 slidable in the slots 41 longitudinally thereof from side-to-side of the pan 3.

The links 43 are longer than the distance from the pivots 45 to the top 23 and the pivots 45 in the slots 41 so that by pull on the top 23, said links 43 may be swung upwardly on the bolts 47 to permit the top to be swung upwardly, as shown in dash lines in FIGURE 3, and then inverted into upsidedown position and pushed to slide links 43 from one side of the table 1 to the other as shown in dot dash lines in FIGURE 3, after which the top 23 may be lowered in inverted upsidedown position with the head 27 seating on the flange 21 as shown in full lines in FIGURE to form thereby a sealed washing chamber confining the washing sprays to all littered surfaces which will be completely exposed to the washing sprays. Obviously, by reversing the described operation for inverting the top 23, it may be positioned right side up, or in other words in normal position.

The use and operation of the invention will be readily understood. After a meal, or the like, the top 23 may be inverted into upsidedown position, in the manner described, and this will invert the receptacles 25 to open downwardly into the chamber 3t to dump the contents of the receptacles, or garbage, into said chamber 30. Then water under pressure may be introduced into the spray pipes through the inlet pipe or nipple 39 to thereby wash out the receptacles 25 as well as the undersurface of the top 23 and thereby wash the garbage into the disposal unit 11 for disposal thereby in the usual manner. The spray frame 31 may be readily removed for cleaning to maintain the same sanitary, and then replaced. Also the top 7.3 may be swung upwardly on the links 43 for access to the pan 3 for scouring the same. It will be noted that the links 43 are bent intermediate their ends to fit under the flange 29 and the flange 21.

The direction in which the top 23 may be swung upwardly and slid or moved to invert the same is indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 3.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A utensil-equipped table with self-contained washing and cleaning facilities comprising a material trapping, washing and disposal pan having a marginal rim provided with an outturned flange, ends and a hopper-bottom, the latter provided with a central discharge aperture, legs supporting said pan, an imperforate rigid top bodily invertible from a right side up serving and eating position into an upside-down material dumping and washing position and seating on said rim flange in either position, said top having dished eating receptacles opening upwardly when said top is right side up to contain foods, and opening downwardly when the top is upside-down to discharge food left in the receptacles into said pan, washing means in said pan for washing out the downwardly opening receptacles and all surfaces of the imperforate top when resting in said washing position comprising upwardly discharging spray pipes, means for connecting said spray pipes to a source of liquid under pressure, means slidably and pivotally linking said top to the ends of the pan for swinging and sliding said top relative to the ends of the pan to invert said top, and a garbage disposal unit suspended from said bottom in communication with said aperture.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said washing means includes a frame embodying said apertured pipes and said connecting means for the spray pipes includes a depending valved inlet nipple for connection to said source of liquid under pressure.

3. The combination of claim 1, said pan having ends and sides, said linking means comprising a pair of links terminally pivoted to the ends of the top and to the ends of the pan, the rim of said pan having horizontal slots in which the pivots of the links to the ends of the pan are siidable from side to side of the pan.

4. A dining table having concealed self-contained washing, wash-water, material drainage, and cooperable plumbing facilities comprising; an elongated trapping pan opening upwardly, provided with a marginal upstanding rim and a dished hopper-type bottom having a discharge opening, a self-contained water and waste material disposal device secured to said bottom and communicating in fluidtight cooperating association with said discharge opening, support means for and connected with said pan, washwater distributing means removably and accessibly supported in the receptacle portion of the pan and insertable and removable by way of the open top of the pan, said distributing means being adapted to forcibly spray a multiplicity of jets of water in a manner to erform its intended washing job, and a rigid bodily invertible cover completely spanning and lidding over said pan, said cover providing a suitable table top and having a retaining rim cooperating with the rim of said pan when the cover is in inverted position for sealing purposes, said cover being imperforate and having a plurality of suitably distributed welllike depressions providing individual receptacles adapted to contain food, the latter and top surface of said cover being normally up for accessible use but capable of being turned upside-down in line with the pan for cleaning and washing by bodily inverting the cover and subjecting its top surface to the action of said water jets, when the cover is resting in the inverted position, and means connecting said cover to the rim of said pan.

5. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein the rim of the pan has an outstanding flange providing a ledge, the rim of said cover being of channel-shaped form and the bottom flange of the channel resting firmly atop said ledge-flange.

6. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein the rim of the pan has an outstanding flange providing a ledge, the rim of said cover being of channel-shaped form and the bottom flange of the channel resting firmly atop said ledge-flange, that portion of the cover inwardly of said rim having a struck-up endless bead functioning to define and provide a large tray.

7. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein the rim of the pan has an outstanding flange providing a ledge, the rim of said cover being of channel-shaped form and the bottom flange of the channel resting firmly atop said ledge-flange, said disposal device being suspended from and located accessibly for repairs beneath said bottom.

8. The structure defined in claim 7, and wherein said wash-water and distributing means comprises an openwork grid-like frame unit composed of communicatively connected perforated pipes, the frame of said unit being perched on upstanding lugs rising from marginal portions of the top of said pan.

9. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein the rim of the pan has an outstanding flange providing a ledge, the rim of said cover being of channel-shaped form and the bottom flange of the channel resting firmly atop said ledgeflange, and said connecting means comprising a pair of links terminally pivoted at the upper ends to the rim of the cover, the lower ends of said links being pivoted to end portions of the rim of the pan and slidingly operable in elongated keying sizots provided therefor in said end portions.

10. A dining table having concealed self-contained washing, wash-water, material drainage, and cooperating plumbing facilities comprising an elongated trapping pan 5, opening upwardly, provided with a marginal upstanding rim and a dished hopper-type bottom having a centralized discharge opening, a self-contained water and waste disposal unit operatively and communicatively suspended from the bottom of said pan and communicating in fluidtight relationship with said discharge opening, support means for said pan, a rigid bodily invertible cover completely spanning and covering over the open top of said pan, said cover being imperforate and provided with a plurality of individual depressions defining receptacles adapted to contain food, said cover in conjunction with said pan providing an enclosure, means operatively mounted within the pan for supplying jets of water for washing the top surface of the cover and the receptacles embodied in said cover, said cover having a rim cooperating with the rim of said pan, the rim of said pan being provided at the end portions with elongated keying slots, and hinging and connecting links having their lower ends pivotally and slidingly keyed in the slots and having their upper ends pivotally connected to end portions of the cover adjacent one longitudinal edge portion of the cover permitting the cover to be swung up to an open position, inverted and then swung down to a closed position with the top surface of the cover facing into said enclosure for washing and cleaning purposes while the cover is resting in the inverted position.

11. A table construction comprising, supported pan means, washing and disposal means operatively mounted in the pan means, invertable rigid top means movably mounted by the pan means for movement between an eating position and inverted washing position above the pan means, retaining means disposed on the top means defining an eating area when the top means is in an eating position and cooperating with the pan means when resting in an inverted washing position to form a sealed washing chamber for completely washing all surfaces of said eating area.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said eating area includes a plurality of integrally formed food receiving recesses.

13. A table construction comprising, horizontally supported chamber means, invertible rigid top means movably mounted by the chamber means for movement between a food supporting position and a surface cleaning position, continuous sealing means peripherally mounted on the chamber means and invertible top means for fluid tight sealing of said chamber means by the top means in the surface cleaning position, recessed irnperforate surface means formed on one side of the top means for exposure within the chamber means when said top means is in the surface cleaning position and surface washing means operatively mounted within said chamber means for washing said entire one side of the top means while resting in said surface cleaning position.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said wash ing means includes spray rinse means removably mounted within the chamber means and centrally disposed means operatively connected to the chamber means for receiving drainage and waste material.

15. A serving table, comprising; a rigid serving surface being imperforate throughout; a supporting frame on which said serving surface is removably positioned in a serving position; a cleaning compartment communicating with said serving surface when disposed in a cleaning position and being sealingly closed thereby; surface inverting means operatively connecting said serving surface to the supporting frame to alternatively position the serving surface in said serving position and said cleaning position exposed in sealing relation to the cleaning compartment; cleansing apparatus disposed in said cleaning compartment and cleaning said entire serving surface at one time upon positioning thereof in said cleaning position; said serving surface having surface depressions therein cleaned by said cleansing apparatus when the serving surface is resting in said cleaning poistion in covering relation to the cleaning compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 675,171 Smith May 28, 1901 1,645,869 Murdock Oct. 18, 1927 1,952,568 Schapp et al Mar. 27, 1934 2,045,890 Uhalt June 30, 1936 2,222,960 Strachan Nov. 26, 1940 2,632,452 Spitzer Mar. 24, 1953 2,750,611 Chatel June 19, 1956 2,782,426 Townsend Feb. 26, 1957 2,886,837 Schara May 19, 1959 2,971,519 Willson Feb. 14, 1961 

11. A TABLE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING, SUPPORTED PAN MEANS, WASHING AND DISPOSAL MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED IN THE PAN MEANS, INVERTABLE RIGID TOP MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED BY THE PAN MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN EATING POSITION AND INVERTED WASHING POSITION ABOVE THE PAN MEANS, RETAINING MEANS DISPOSED ON THE TOP MEANS DEFINING AN EATING AREA WHEN THE TOP MEANS IS IN AN EATING POSITION AND COOPERATING WITH THE PAN MEANS WHEN RESTING IN AN INVERTED WASHING POSITION TO FORM A SEALED WASHING CHAMBER FOR COMPLETELY WASHING ALL SURFACES OF SAID EATING AREA. 